A group of political and military leaders from the United States, Russia and other key countries on Monday outlined here a step-by-step process to achieve the elimination of nuclear weapons.

The group, Global Zero Commission, presented the plan as recommendations for U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who were set to meet during the July 6-8 nuclear weapons summit in Moscow.

"As these two presidents and other leaders begin to pursue the important near-term measures ... we at Global Zero have formed an international Commission of political and military leaders with national security experience in the key nuclear and non-nuclear countries to develop a practical, comprehensive end-to-end strategy -- including near, medium and long-term steps -- for the phased, verified reduction of all nuclear weapons to zero," said former U.S. Chief Negotiator of Strategic Arms Reduction Talks Richard Burt at a press conference.

"We hopes that the process we will outline here serves as a useful framework and helps to advance an open and honest international dialogue among leaders, experts and the public on strategies for achieving global zero," he added.

According to the four-phased Global Zero Action, during the Phase 1 from 2010 to 2013, the U.S. and Russia should negotiate a new bilateral accord to replace the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), which expires on Dec. 5, 2009, with aims at reducing to 1,000 total warheads each and preparing for multilateral negotiations.

From 2014 to 2018, the two countries should reach agreement in a multilateral framework to reduce to 500 total warheads each as long as all other nuclear weapons countries agree to freeze their stockpiles until 2018, and strengthen safeguards on the civilian nuclear fuel cycle to prevent diversion of materials to build weapons.

The third phase, from 2019 to 2023, features a global zero accord, which includes a schedule for the phased, verified, proportionate reduction of all nuclear arsenals to zero total warheads by 2030, and a requirement that all nuclear capable countries sign and ratify the global zero accord in order for it to enter into force.

By 2030, reduction of all nuclear arsenals to zero total warheads should be completed, according to the plan.

"We believe that Presidents Obama and Medvedev could set the world's course to zero nuclear weapons if they initiate serious talks on a comprehensive strategy to achieve it," said Igor Yurgens, Medvedev's advisor on nuclear weapon reduction talks.

However, the Global Zero members recognized that the process of nuclear weapon reduction "can not be divorced from security reality," including those in East Asia with actions of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, in South Asia and greater Middle East.

"It would not enough for simply nuclear powers to reach this agreement, all nuclear capable countries, including those that have nuclear know-how, would be also asked to ratify a global zero treaty," said Burt. "Having achieved that, a new and very vigorous comprehensive verification and international enforcement system would go into affect."

He urged the U.S. and Russia, the two greatest nuclear powers which possess 95 percent of nuclear weapons in the world, to "prepare to have a serious reduction" that is large enough to convince others to consider reduction.

The Global Zero Commission is part of the Global Zero Initiative, an international and non-partisan effort launched in December 2008 by over 100 leaders around the world.

It was formed in response to the growing threats of proliferation and nuclear terrorism and dedicated to achieving the phased, verified elimination of all nuclear weapons.

Source: Xinhua